Bradley Cooper Admits Fatherhood May Have Saved His Life

Father first, actor second. Bradley Cooper appeared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast earlier this week to confirm that his relationship with his daughter Lea, 6, means more to him than anything else. He began dating Russian model Irina Shayk in 2015. Two years later, their daughter Lea was born. By 2019, the couple had parted ways. But Cooper wasn’t resentful of the relationship, not after it gave him the motivation he needed to become a better person and a model father.

Lea Gave Cooper’s Life New Meaning

Cooper said parenting Lea with Shayk helped him decide to work on himself in an effort “to do the least amount of damage that I could do to my daughter.”

“Honestly, I’m not sure I’d be alive if I wasn’t a dad,” he revealed.

“This is gonna dictate everything you do from now on,” he added. “Your DNA is going to tell you that there’s something more important than you.”

For the first few years of Lea’s life, Cooper couldn’t understand the concept of parents devoting their lives to their children — even taking a bullet for them if need be. In fact, he wasn’t even sure he loved Lea in the beginning. His opinion seems to have changed over time, fortunately, and he’s been bit by the parent bug.

“It’s dope. It’s cool. I’m watching this thing morph,” he explained. “And then, all of a sudden, it’s like no question.”

Times Were Tough For Cooper

Cooper’s early days in the entertainment industry were marred with difficulties. He had a substance addiction and doubts about his career, both of which triggered thoughts of suicide. He has abstained from alcohol since 2004 and credits his friend Will Arnett with encouraging him to seek professional help.

The Hangover star revealed in an outing with Bear Grylls that his substance abuse almost killed him. Despite getting sober at 29 years old, Cooper almost stumbled after his father died from lung cancer in 2011.

“I definitely had a nihilistic attitude towards life after, just like I thought ‘I’m going to die,’” he said.

He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, “I always felt like an outsider. I just lived in my head. I realized I wasn’t going to live up to my potential, and that scared the hell out of me. I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually gonna ruin my life; I’m really gonna ruin it.”

Luckily, Cooper got a new lease on life when Lea was born and realized his true potential as both a phenomenal actor and a great father.